St. John–Lena Border Crossing, Border crossing in Rolette County, North Dakota, United States
The St. John-Lena Border Crossing connects North Dakota Highway 30 and Manitoba Highway 18 at the international boundary between the United States and Canada. The facility includes the inspection building, vehicle lanes, and waiting areas for vehicles crossing between the two countries.
The first customs office opened at Killarney in 1889, with W.J. Cooper as officer until 1895, under the Port of Winnipeg and from 1899 the Port of Brandon. Judged inconvenient and prone to smuggling, it moved to the border in 1930 and took the name Lena from the nearest post office. The Canadian building was replaced in 1961; the US station dates from 1937 and joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
The Canadian port was first staffed in 1889 by customs officer W.J. Cooper at Killarney, about 21 km north of today's crossing. It moved to the boundary in 1930 and took the name Lena from the nearest post office; the present Canadian building dates from 1961.
The crossing is accessible on most days and handles a modest volume of vehicles daily. Travelers should expect short wait times unless there are unexpected delays or special inspections.
The building was constructed from red brick in 1937 and retains its original form to this day. It stands as one of the few early inspection buildings along the boundary that has not been significantly altered or modernized.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,856 contributors worldwide.